An Interesting Developement
by Randa
Summary: *Work In Progress* Hyde escorts Jackie to her senior prom.
1. Default Chapter

Note: This story takes place the year after Hyde, Donna, Eric, and Fez have graduated. Jackie is in her senior year and Hyde is living in the Foreman basement. The rest of the gang is away at college. Also, Kelso and Jackie never got back together after they broke up over Laurie. Hence, Jackie is a little less prissy (due to Hyde's influence) and Hyde is a little less mean (due to Jackie's influence).  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Please, Steven?"  
  
"Not in a million years."  
  
"Oh, come on. It's just one night. One short, insignificant little night You can even see your old friends! Don't tell me you don't want to gloat to them about how great being rid of school is, because I know that you do."  
  
"I don't have any friends. And even if I did they sure as hell wouldn't hang out at a high school dance."  
  
"First of all, I'm your friend. Secondly, its not just a dance. It's THE dance. The Senior Prom, Steven! Don't make me miss my Senior Prom! You're my only hope. My last chance at happiness. PLEASE!"  
  
"Why can't you get someone else to take you? You know I hate these things."  
  
"I can't! David cancelled on me last minute because his sister's in the hospital and he has to go visit her in Beckersville. Can you believe the nerve of that jerk? Anyway, everyone else already has a date. Steven, you've got to take me!"  
  
"Why the hell should I? What's in it for me?"  
  
"My eternal gratitude?"  
  
Hyde cast a disparaging look at the brunette pixie of a girl that was tormenting him. It was bad enough that he'd had to take her to her Junior Prom, but now she wanted him to take her to her Senior Prom as well? It'd take a lot more than her gratitude to get him to do this. Something like--  
  
"$20 bucks?"  
  
Huh. That'd work. Still... "Make it $50 and you've got a deal."  
  
"$50 dollars? Steven, are you insane? That's a weeks paycheck!"  
  
"$50 is a week's pay? God, Jackie, you've gotta get a better job. That's pathetic," he started to tell her to keep her cash, but felt his jaw go slack when she began to unbutton her blouse. "Uhh... What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"What, you want your money don't you? It's in my bra."  
  
Any thought of telling her to forget the money promptly dissipated.  
  
"What? Do you see any pockets on this thing?" She indicated her knee-length indigo skirt.  
  
"Hey, whatever. It's none of my business where you do your banking," he smirked and sat back, prepared to enjoy the show. Naturally, she turned her back. Damn.  
  
"So what are you going to wear? Same tux as last year?" Jackie asked, rebuttoning her shirt as she turned back around, accidentally missing the top two buttons. Hyde gave a silent thanks to the powers that be for his shot of a lacy bra the same purple as Jackie's skirt. He wondered if she color coordinated all of her lingerie.  
  
"Yeah, probably. How about you? Not a chance that Point Place's resident fashion plate will wear the same dress twice, is there? Especially not to the most important event in her life," he teased.  
  
Jackie was, as always, oblivious to his sarcasm. "No way! There's a new shop at the mall that only carries formal dress. Their stuff's amazing. Of course I'm gonna have to work overtime for at least a week before I can even THINK about going in, though. The prices are incredibly steep."  
  
"This coming from you, Princess? Damn, they must be high."  
  
"Seriously, are we going through an inflation or something? Everything seems more expensive lately."  
  
Hyde smirked. "Yeah? Things tend to seem that way when you have to pay for them yourself and not just slap down Daddy's credit card."  
  
"Is that an insult?"  
  
"Nope. Just a critical assessment."  
  
"Whatever that means. Look, I'm in too good a mood to put up with you right now, Mr. Cryptic," Jackie tossed two crumpled twenties and a partially torn ten dollar bill in the general direction of his chest.  
  
"There's your money. I've gotta go home and take a shower. Work starts in two hours, and there's no way I'm going to go in smelling like Eric's-- I mean, your basement." After Eric and the rest of the gang had left home for college, Hyde had officially moved into the Foreman basement. Kitty had been thrilled. She was desperately in need of someone to mother with Eric gone. Red hadn't minded so much either, mostly because he genuinely liked Hyde. Of course, his fairly generous monthly rent (which Kitty remained ignorant of) didn't hurt either.  
  
"Yeah, well, take this with you." Hyde winked at her and tucked her money back into it's lacy former resting place, trying not to let his hand longer than was necessary to piss her off. "Buy one of those ridiculously expensive dresses. And make sure that they show these off to their best advantage. If I have to go to this thing, I should t least get to have the hottest girl there."  
  
Hyde had to fight to keep the grin off his face when Jackie's eyes began to spark dangerously and her cheeks turned pink.  
  
"God, Steven! Could you be any more of a pig?" She shook him off and aimed a slap at his cheek. Hyde darted out of range with inches to spare.  
  
"Sorry," he laughed, flopping down on the couch and turning on the TV. "See you later?"  
  
"I can't. SOME of us have graduation tests coming up. But, can you meet me for dinner tomorrow? We need to talk about my corsage."  
  
"Corsage!" Hyde's jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me?"  
  
"Nope," she grinned and patted his head. "You agreed to be my date. Dates bring corsages. End of story."  
  
"Shit. You're gonna milk this for all it's worth, aren't you?"  
  
"Hey, I learned from the best," she giggled. "So will you meet me or what?"  
  
"Say the magic words."  
  
"Oh, okay," she squatted down to his level and met his eyes. "I'll buy."  
  
He grinned and stood, placing a hand on the small of her back and walking her to the door. "I knew that there was a reason I put up with you. Why don't you just come over here whenever. Bring a pizza. Pepperoni and extra cheese."  
  
"Fine," she stepped outside. "But if you try to feel me up again, you'll be wearing your pizza." With that cool remark, she sauntered out the door and down the sidewalk, got into her car and drove home. Once there, she climbed into her shower. She turned the water knob to as cold as it would go and tried to erase the memory of Steven's warm, gentle hand on her breast.  
  
  
  
end part 1 


	2. Part Two

Chapter Two

Disclaimer in Part One

A.N. Sorry for the long wait.

Hyde grinned as Jackie left. She never used to be so fiesty. Or did she? Maybe it only seemed that way because he never used to find that quality endearing. Actually, Hyde reflected, he never used to find ANY quality in her endearing. It was amazing how much his attitude toward Jackie had changed since her breakup with Kelso. The breakup had really been the best thing for both of them. Jackie and Kelso were just not good for each other. Plus, they really annoyed him. The very memory of how they used to be fighting one minute and making out the next was enough to wipe the smile off of his face. Especially the last part.

Now, though, Jackie was much easier to get along with. Oh, she was still unbelievably conceited. Not to mention materialistic and predisposed to believe that life was a fairy tale in which she was destined to play the beautiful princess. Hmm… funny how the qualities that had once annoyed the hell out of him now just mad him smile fondly. But he wasn't prepared to think about that right now. Instead, he picked up his latest letter from Eric. Hyde had already read it once before, but now he felt slightly desperate to get Jackie off of his mind, and the letter was the nearest available distraction. 

__

Dear Hyde,

How are things at home? Is my mom still trying to get Red to paint

the house pink? Oh, yeah. Pink walls. I'm not at all glad to be living in a 

very cool dorm room. With very masculine WHITE walls, may I add.

Yesterday Kelso declared his major. He wants to study psychology Apparently he has always been interested in the supernatural. Get it? Psychology… Psychic… Yeah.

Fez is dating a girl named Candy. The moment he heard her name

he knew that it was fate. I have news for you, Hyde. Our little Fezzie has

become a man!

As for me and Donna, we're doing great. We have almost all of 

our classes together, so, even though we are both busy doing our own things 

(her with the Debate Team and school newspaper, and me with trying 

desperately not to flunk all of my classes) we still see each other all the time. 

And that's good.

Until summer (One more month! Yeah!),

Eric

P.S. Give Jackie a BIG kiss for me!

Hyde had to laugh, even as he planned to kick Forman's ass the next time he saw him. Eric seemed to be convinced that he had a thing for Jackie. Where the hell would he get that idea? Jackie was his friend. She had been ever since Kelso and she had split and she had, for some bizarre reason, turned to him for comfort. And, yeah, maybe the two of them had become a lot closer since the rest of the gang had taken of for Wisconsin State. Big deal. All they'd had to hang out with were each other. It was inevitable that their friendship would get more serious. And, yeah, maybe every now and then Hyde had trouble taking his eyes off of her. And maybe he enjoyed her tendency to hug him or kiss his cheek when she was happy a bit more than was strictly friendly. And maybe he hadn't been on a date in months because he couldn't work up any desire to be with another girl. And maybe Jackie's seemingly endless string of idiot boyfriends pissed him of to no end. And… hell, that was a lot of maybes. But it didn't mean anything.

Frustrated, Hude went into his room and got into bed. He might as well sleep; he couldn't think of anything better to do. Surprisingly, sleep claimed him not long after laying down. 

And maybe he dreamed about Jackie.

But so what?


End file.
